Structural changes induced by mupirocin in Staphylococcus aureus cells

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Improved Enzyme Protection Assay to Study Staphylococcus aureus Internalization and Intracellular Efficacy of Antimicrobial Compounds

Published on: September 8, 2021

D G Thomas1, A C Hann, M J Day

  • 1Welsh School of Pharmacy, Cardiff University, UK.

International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents
|November 24, 1999
PubMed

Insights

Mupirocin antibiotic causes severe damage to sensitive Staphylococcus aureus cells. Resistant strains show reduced growth with sub-inhibitory concentrations, indicating potential for new treatment strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Bacterial Resistance
  • Electron Microscopy

Background:

  • Mupirocin is a key antibiotic for treating Staphylococcus aureus infections.
  • Understanding the cellular effects of mupirocin is crucial for combating antibiotic resistance.
  • Staphylococcus aureus exhibits varying degrees of mupirocin resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the ultrastructural changes in Staphylococcus aureus cells with different mupirocin resistance levels.
  • To compare the impact of mupirocin on sensitive versus resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus.
  • To analyze the effect of sub-inhibitory mupirocin concentrations on bacterial growth.

Main Methods:

  • Exposure of mupirocin-sensitive, moderately-resistant, and highly-resistant Staphylococcus aureus cultures to mupirocin.
  • Examination of cellular damage using transmission electron microscopy.
  • Growth curve analysis under various mupirocin concentrations and incubation times.

Main Results:

  • Mupirocin caused the most significant cellular damage in sensitive Staphylococcus aureus strains.
  • Moderately-resistant strains, when trained in vitro, exhibited increased cell surface hydrophobicity.
  • Sub-inhibitory mupirocin concentrations inhibited or reduced the growth of resistant strains over 6 hours.

Conclusions:

  • Mupirocin's lethal effects are most pronounced in sensitive Staphylococcus aureus.
  • Cellular adaptations, like increased hydrophobicity, may contribute to mupirocin resistance.
  • Sub-inhibitory concentrations of mupirocin can impact the growth of resistant strains, suggesting complex resistance mechanisms.

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